Fitting a Borg Warner T5 into a pre cat Griff
Discussion
Has anyone carried out this mod? My SD1 box is getting tired and apparently will struggle with the 4.5BV engine fitted to my Griff. I have acquired a T5 Box with Rover V8 bell housing, and a Griff 500 prop. But am missing the linkages, rear mounts and speedo pick up. Anyone carried out this conversion ? And if so what are the top tips ?
Cheers,
Mick
Cheers,
Mick
quote:
Has anyone carried out this mod? My SD1 box is getting tired and apparently will struggle with the 4.5BV engine fitted to my Griff.
Don't know anything about that conversion, but I'd question the need. Unless you want to do it as an exercise, consider sticking with the Vitesse (LT77). They're pretty indestructable up to about 300 lb-ft (which I doubt you'll exceed). Consider getting the LT77 rebuilt, possibly with 'Bernie special' uprated input bearings and see how that lasts, before you start a major exercise. (You may find, as I did, that the diff and half shafts are more of a problem if you've increased the power significantly.)
I have a Tower View/Bernie uprated LT77 box in my 520 and have been putting between 360-400 lb of torque through it for the last 2 years. Now hit the drive shafts and suspension issue but that's another problem...
Speedo will need a slotted disc on the propshaft and a sensor mounted to detect the gaps. Needs to be an exact copy in terms of pulse per revolution otherwise the speedo will be wrong. Sorry I don't know what the figure is and probably the only way to find it is to stick a scope on the current sensor and count and then work out the equivalent. Might need to try several different sensor types as well - again it depends on the electrical interface used on the speedo.
Linkages are a TVR special. There is a picture in the bible and it basically consists of a remote parallel linkage. Not to difficult if you can bash metal.
As for the mounts... it's only metal! You will need to make your own I would think.
Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk
>> Edited by shpub on Thursday 11th July 09:31
>> Edited by shpub on Thursday 11th July 10:14
Speedo will need a slotted disc on the propshaft and a sensor mounted to detect the gaps. Needs to be an exact copy in terms of pulse per revolution otherwise the speedo will be wrong. Sorry I don't know what the figure is and probably the only way to find it is to stick a scope on the current sensor and count and then work out the equivalent. Might need to try several different sensor types as well - again it depends on the electrical interface used on the speedo.
Linkages are a TVR special. There is a picture in the bible and it basically consists of a remote parallel linkage. Not to difficult if you can bash metal.
As for the mounts... it's only metal! You will need to make your own I would think.
Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk
>> Edited by shpub on Thursday 11th July 09:31
>> Edited by shpub on Thursday 11th July 10:14
Mick, it might be worth contacting 4.5BV owner Steve Beresford (via the TVRCC), see:
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Peter_Beech/TVR/engspec.htm
...to find out what gearbox he's got in his Griffith. I know his car used to get through the odd clutch or two until he upgraded it.
It might also be worthwhile contacting TVR to find out which gearbox they put in the one-off 5.0BV!
Keep us posted on your progress.
Dave
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Peter_Beech/TVR/engspec.htm
...to find out what gearbox he's got in his Griffith. I know his car used to get through the odd clutch or two until he upgraded it.
It might also be worthwhile contacting TVR to find out which gearbox they put in the one-off 5.0BV!
Keep us posted on your progress.
Dave
'Vitesse (LT77)'
Is that another name for the Rover box? I don't know why folk are so quick to dismiss the Rover box (anyone had real problems with it?). From my limited experience of that and the T5, the Rover is much nicer to use. Perhaps the view is passing into folklore, like 'Jaguar dashboards aren't ergonomic' when in fact some of the switches were in more logical places than my 730!
Is that another name for the Rover box? I don't know why folk are so quick to dismiss the Rover box (anyone had real problems with it?). From my limited experience of that and the T5, the Rover is much nicer to use. Perhaps the view is passing into folklore, like 'Jaguar dashboards aren't ergonomic' when in fact some of the switches were in more logical places than my 730!
Yes. The reason why they have a poor reputation is that there have been many varients and the early ones do fail quite easily as the output bearing dies and the swarf kills the internal oil pump and then the box goes PDQ. The T5 box is bullet proof by comparison and has a better (different) feel and can be picked up for about the same or even less than a SD1 box.
I was forced to use the SD1 box because of the competition class regs and as I said with the magical treatment it has received, it hasn't been a problem. If it was I was going to declare gearboxes a consumable. I even had the 520 modded so that the gearbox could be changed by dropping it instead of taking the engine out as is normal with a Wedge.
As for TVR and all the other BV engines (the 500BV is basically a 500 engine as the 500 engine has the bigger valves anyway), the gearbox was the SD1. Bear in mind the T5 required quite a few changes to be made including some chassis mods. The early Tuscans also ran the Rover box as well.
Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk
I was forced to use the SD1 box because of the competition class regs and as I said with the magical treatment it has received, it hasn't been a problem. If it was I was going to declare gearboxes a consumable. I even had the 520 modded so that the gearbox could be changed by dropping it instead of taking the engine out as is normal with a Wedge.
As for TVR and all the other BV engines (the 500BV is basically a 500 engine as the 500 engine has the bigger valves anyway), the gearbox was the SD1. Bear in mind the T5 required quite a few changes to be made including some chassis mods. The early Tuscans also ran the Rover box as well.
Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk
Thanks for the response. I prefer the T5 change to the LT77 (I used to have a Rover V8 powered M with a T5)and last weekend had big problems with 2nd to 3rd balking at Tycroes Sprint. Never had that problem with a T5, but then again this LT77 has got 85000 miles on it !
How much would it cost to rebuild the LT77 in the uprated spec roughly ? I could be tempted if the cost is reasonable.
How much would it cost to rebuild the LT77 in the uprated spec roughly ? I could be tempted if the cost is reasonable.
'the B & M T5 has a better feel - more positive - you dont miss the shift from 2nd to 3rd when you are in a rush.'
Bizarre - I experienced exactly the opposite! Duxford 1999: T5 box baulks going into third, 4.x's go past. It simply doesn't like quick changes, at least not from 2nd to 3rd - instead you have to put it in neutral, read it a nice story, lull it into a false sense of security, disract it by saying 'Look! There's Halley's Comet', then stick it in third before it wakes up. IMHO of course...
Bizarre - I experienced exactly the opposite! Duxford 1999: T5 box baulks going into third, 4.x's go past. It simply doesn't like quick changes, at least not from 2nd to 3rd - instead you have to put it in neutral, read it a nice story, lull it into a false sense of security, disract it by saying 'Look! There's Halley's Comet', then stick it in third before it wakes up. IMHO of course...
It's around the 5-600 mark depending on what is wrong with the original and how much they have to replace. The 520's box is the original and had done around 90k miles when it as rebuilt. Very little wrong with it internally.
Talk to Mark or Dave at Tower View 0208 452 6922.
Pretty sure it is a drop the gearbox from underneath but I think you leave the bell housing on, sepearte from engine and then remove it.
Steve
Talk to Mark or Dave at Tower View 0208 452 6922.
Pretty sure it is a drop the gearbox from underneath but I think you leave the bell housing on, sepearte from engine and then remove it.
Steve
Decided to go down the recon LT77 route before I try fitting a T5. However can't decide between the Tower View/Bernie (£400 - 700) or Wedge Automotives £450 ish. Anyone got any recommendations on either reconditioner ?
Also I think my box needs new linkage bushes as changing gear is like stirring porridge. Will get sorted at same time.
Also I think my box needs new linkage bushes as changing gear is like stirring porridge. Will get sorted at same time.
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